GetEqual: Texas’ Anti-Marriage Bill

In a state so well-known for promoting the Bush-era taglines of “family values” and “compassionate conservatism,” Texas is now actively seeking to pass legislation that would tear families apart. It shouldn’t be a surprise, but this really goes above and beyond what we’ve come to expect from a state whose Republican Party is seeking to re-criminalize homosexuality.

Right now, an individual wishing to get a marriage license can present a range of paperwork to do so, including a court order changing a person’s legally-recognized sex. Senate Bill 723 is attempting to remove the right of transsexual and intersex individuals to affirm something as fundamentally human as their own sex, and are trying to meddle with individual liberties that have been confirmed by the courts and the law.

Texans like Nikki Araguz will be impacted by this bill. Nikki identifies as transsexual and intersex, and recently lost her husband — firefighter Thomas Araguz — in the line of duty. The state — and Thomas’ unsupportive family — now wants to go against Thomas’ stated intentions, invalidate their marriage, and remove all widow benefits from Nikki…at the same time that she’s dealing with the grief of losing the love of her life.

In a state that has become obsessed by the ideas of “individual liberty” and “family values,” it seems hypocritical to actively legislate against a family and to seek to destroy everything that Nikki and Thomas built together. Whether you live in Texas, known people who live in Texas, have ever thought about moving to Texas, or just generally care about the fact that the state is tearing this family apart, please help us in stopping this bill!